Chelsea have wasted little time making their mark under Xabi Alonso, completing the signing of Italian defender Marco Palestra on a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old arrives from Atalanta after Alonso pushed hard to fend off competition from Inter Milan for his signature, according to sources close to the club.
It has been a turbulent week for Chelsea in the summer transfer window, with supporters initially concerned about what appeared to be a slow start to business.
Work was always progressing behind the scenes, however, and the club’s sporting leadership team has now shifted into a higher gear as they look to build a competitive squad for the 2026/27 season.
Chelsea are also advancing in talks with Rayo Vallecano for left back Pep Chavarria, as the club seeks to fill the void left by Marc Cucurella’s £52 million departure to Real Madrid last month.
Elsewhere, Chelsea opened talks with Crystal Palace last week over France international defender Maxence Lacroix, though those negotiations have since gone quiet, leaving supporters a little uneasy.
Crystal Palace are determined to extract maximum value for Lacroix should he depart, meaning a straightforward agreement between the two clubs is far from guaranteed at this stage.
Chelsea reporter Bobby Vincent has argued that securing Lacroix must be the club’s top priority, warning that a Champions League club could swoop in if the Blues leave it too long.
Vincent stated that Lacroix would be his immediate focus, with the Chavarria and Granit Xhaka pursuits best handled as background business while the Lacroix deal is pushed to the finish line.
Chelsea retain an active interest in Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka after the Black Cats swiftly dismissed an opening offer understood to be just £8 million on Sunday.
Sunderland are reported to be furious at the size of Chelsea’s initial bid, with sources close to the Stadium of Light insisting that Xhaka is not for sale this summer under any circumstances.
Chelsea are nonetheless preparing a new and improved offer for the midfielder as they look to test Sunderland’s resolve once more in the coming days.
Fellow Chelsea writer Jake Stokes highlighted that Lacroix would be a significant upgrade on what Alonso currently has available, and that higher-ups at Stamford Bridge cannot afford to let the opportunity slip.
Stokes noted that what excites him most about Lacroix is that “he’s just as good in a back-three as he is in a back-four, which will be imperative next season when managers up and down the Premier League try to find weak spots in the Chelsea boss’ tactics.”
With Palestra now through the door, Chelsea are building early momentum, and the coming weeks will determine whether Alonso can assemble the squad depth required to challenge on multiple fronts.
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